The British government plans to burn billions of dollars in unusable protective equipment purchased during the coronavirus pandemic.

Spain’s medical community has scored a victory after a court ordered that a regional government compensate doctors with up to 49,000 euros ($56,000) for having to work without personal protection suits during the devastating early months of the pandemic.

The Green Bay Packers were fined $300,000 and quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receiver Allen Lazard were fined $14,650 by the NFL for violating the league's COVID-19 protocols.

Policy to go into effect starting the first day of school.

Thailand’s already locked down capital shut parks and the few remaining public places available to residents Friday, as the country registered a new high of coronavirus infections.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new law aimed at fighting back against people using websites to run scams with claims to offer access to the COVID-19 vaccine or personal protective equipment.

Across the border from a devastating surge in India, doctors in Nepal are warning of a major crisis as daily coronavirus cases hit a record and hospitals are running out of beds and oxygen.

Discarded masks and gloves worn by people to protect against the coronavirus pandemic are turning up on beaches around the world.

Von der Leyen also announced during the meeting an additional 100 million euros ($121.4 million) to support vaccination campaigns in Africa in partnership with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The funding will be used to strengthen health systems, ensure the cold chains, buy equipment and train staff," von der Leyen said. She added that the EU would discuss with drugmakers how they can ramp up their COVID-19 vaccine production capacity in Africa. COVAX hopes to deploy some 336 million doses by the end of June, and around 2 billion doses by the end of the year. In addition to its COVAX contribution, the EU said it wants to share some of its doses with neighbors in Europe and Africa.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY— Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. hit another one-day high at over 4,300 with the country’s attention focused largely on the fallout from the deadly uprising at the Capitol. The country is now in the most lethal phase of the outbreak yet, even as vaccines are being rolled out. — An ongoing study suggests that older American adults are showing resilience and perseverance despite struggles with loneliness and isolation during the pandemic. THE NUMBERS: The U.S. is averaging about 249,000 new cases per day, and about 3,300 deaths. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

California health authorities reported Thursday a record two-day total of 1,042 coronavirus deaths as many hospitals strain under unprecedented caseloads. The virus is surging in several states, with California hit particularly hard, reporting on Thursday a record two-day total of 1,042 coronavirus deaths. On Wednesday, the day a horde of protesters breached the U.S. Capitol, disrupting efforts to certify the election of Joe Biden, the U.S. recorded 3,865 virus deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. “Real life turned out to be much worse.”In California, health authorities Thursday reported 583 new deaths, a day after 459 people died. Florida broke its record for the highest single-day number of cases with over 19,800, while its death toll reached 22,400.

The competitive scramble by states to buy personal protective equipment this spring stuck some businesses with big bills. An Associated Press analysis of state purchasing data during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic found that states canceled billions of dollars in PPE orders. Many of the cancellations occurred when businesses couldn't get the products to states under tight deadlines or when prices rose. Many businesses that jumped in to help this spring soon found themselves facing delays from suppliers and, in some cases, having orders canceled by states too impatient to wait. For other companies, their first venture into selling personal protective equipment is still causing headaches.

The AP tallied more than $7 billion in purchases by states this spring for personal protective equipment, or PPE, and high-demand medical devices such as ventilators and infrared thermometers. Some governors described the early personal protective equipment marketplace as the Wild West, where supplies often went to the highest bidder, even if they had already been promised to someone else. This spring, states paid an average of $3 each, according to the AP's analysis. The largest supplier of personal protective equipment to states this spring had never sold a single mask before the pandemic. Others, however, were more than willing to describe how personal protective equipment sales provided a lifeline at the onset of the pandemic.

California spent the most during the pandemic's initial months — at least $1.5 billion in the AP's data — followed by Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington. Traditional safety equipment suppliers also saw a surge in PPE sales, offsetting their losses from other products amid the sudden recession. Many of the companies in the AP's data set are not publicly traded and thus can keep their financial figures private. Others, however, were more than willing to describe how PPE sales provided a lifeline at the onset of the pandemic. The AP's data for the spring includes just over $50 million in PPE sales to states by the Salem, New Hampshire, company.

Britain's public spending watchdog says the government spent billions, without proper transparency, in a scramble to secure protective equipment early in the coronavirus outbreak. Like many countries, the U.K. was caught without enough masks, gowns, gloves and other items to keep health care workers and the public safe as coronavirus cases skyrocketed. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)LONDON – The British government spent billions without proper transparency in a scramble to secure protective equipment early in the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s public watchdog said Wednesday. Like many countries, the U.K. was caught without enough masks, gowns, gloves and other items to keep health care workers and the public safe as coronavirus cases skyrocketed. In more than half the cases, contracts had not been published by Nov. 10.

The lunar Gateway -- a small space station around the moon-- is a key part of NASA’s Artemis program that will provide a location for spacecraft to deploy down to the surface of the moon with astronauts. | Shaq’s mansion discounted by $3M]NASA’s OIG is an independent organization and is performing several audits of the Artemis program. On Tuesday, the OIG released the first in a series examining the Gateway schedule, funding, costs, contract negotiations and technical risks. The PPE is at least 17 months behind its original completion date of December 2022 and HALO is two to five months behind schedule, according to the OIG report. With both of these elements needed for Gateway, the orbiting space station will likely not be in place for the first 2024 astronaut lunar landing.

They include Nebraska and South Dakota, where the number of new cases topped previous highs for each state. But the resurgence of the virus, despite being far more widespread, has brought a decidedly more limited response in many states. Most are led by Republican governors backing a president who insists, falsely, that the country is getting the virus under control. “At the end of the day, personal responsibility is the only way. “I believe in personal responsibility and that it is our responsibility as American citizens to choose if we want to wear it or not,” she said.

FILE - In this May 22, 2019, file photo, Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president, speaks to the media during the owners meetings in Key Biscayne, Fla. The NFL will consult an advisory committee made up of former coaches, general managers and players on such issues as postponing, moving or even canceling games this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Vincent said Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020 that the advisers, who will report to Commissioner Roger Goodell, will help avoid any inequities in those decisions. Vincent did not identify any members of the panel, saying he was awaiting their approval to do so. Dr. Allen Sills, the league's chief medical officer, noted that setting firm schedules for anything during the pandemic is foolhardy.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)FULLERTON, Calif. Theres red tape running along the floor of the coronavirus unit at St. Judes Medical Center in Fullerton, California. The Associated Press spent several days in the coronavirus unit at St. Judes and followed four nurses and their families after their shifts were over. She started a new job at St. Judes in March, returning to a field very different from the one she had left before giving birth. Eleanor gave up her own part-time night nursing shifts at St. Judes so she could stay home with the kids. They felt safe with St. Judes preparations and plans, and the feared shortage of protective equipment hadn't hit Southern California.

Anderson is also a representative of the Orange County's Classroom Teachers Association and fears about the reopening and what it would look like. According to Orange County school officials, the county needs approximately $1.1 million dollars for PPE supplies and plans on using their own reserves to pay for it. Mental health services and support will be expanded through increased access to Potential counselors at each middle and high school in the district. Counselors provide services to students during the school day for individual and/or group counseling, depending on the needs of the student. Mental health services and support will be expanded through contracted service professionals from Lifestream to support K-12 students.

A doctors association warns that physicians offices are closed because they cannot get masks and other supplies. In general, supplies of protective gear are more robust now, and many states and major hospital chains say they are in better shape. As of mid-June, for example, Montana had received 1,125 items of protective gear per case, compared with 32 items per case in Massachusetts, an early hot spot. States including California, Iowa and Nebraska, all of which have seen a surge in confirmed infections, received among the lowest amounts of protective gear from FEMA per case, according to the AP analysis. A nonprofit group called #GetUsPPE was established in March by physicians to help distribute donated protective gear.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Orange County is conducting the fourth PPE distribution event since late March. The County said the event started Wednesday and goes through Friday, adding that there are three sites small business owners can visit. The distribution sites are West Orange Park, Downey Park, and the South Orange Youth Sports Complex. Banks said the county will be passing out 2,000,000 surgical face masks, 150,000 reusable cloth masks, and over 200,000 small bottles of hand sanitizers to Orange County small business owners. In order to qualify, Banks said the business has to operate in Orange County and has to have less than 40 employees.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Orange County small business owners who are in need of personal protective equipment for their employees and patrons can register to receive those supplies for free this week. The PPE will be given away for free Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Before a small business owner can receive the PPE, theyll need to register online by clicking here. Theyll be instructed to choose from one of three pick-up sites -- Downey Park, South Orange Youth Sports Complex or West Orange Park -- and make an appointment at that specific location. Appointments are available Thursday afternoon and all day Friday at South Orange Youth Sports Complex and West Orange Park. For more information on the PPE for Small Biz initiative, click here.

From the warehouse to local stores, truck drivers have been on the road delivering goods. Many drivers say PPE has been hard to come by. I've even encountered drivers having to put a dirty sock on their face or a dirty t-shirt," said Desiree Wood. Those experiences motivated Desiree Wood, President of Real Women in Trucking, to partner with Florida's Turnpike Enterprise to collect and distribute donated PPE and supplies to truck drivers. With vans filled with much-needed supplies, Real Women in Trucking plan to continue traveling across the country delivering PPE to truck drivers who need them.

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To keep citizens and businesses safe, Orange County is continuing to offer free personal protective equipment to small businesses and residents this week. RELATED: Orange County expanding its free PPE supplies for small businesses into next week | Orange County COVID-19 testing sites to offer free PPE“We’re making those masks and hand sanitizers available as aggressively as we can,” Banks said. Banks said more than 11,000 small businesses came out last week to get the free PPE. Orange County officials provided News 6 maps that show businesses all over the county took advantage of the opportunity to pick up free PPE. Banks said starting this weekend, Orange County Fire Rescue is also handing out free PPE to residents during their calls for service.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County is preparing to hand out one million masks and 200,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to small businesses in an effort to help them reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. Orange County's Director of Public Safety Danny Banks said small businesses were hit the hardest during the state shut down. Banks said they're giving those supplies to small business owners in Orange County for free. In order for small businesses to qualify, they must register by completing an Interest Form at www.ocfl.net/PPE to get a pick-up appointment. Banks said this is a good start and the county plans to continue helping small businesses.

Orange County to hand out PPE to small businessesPublished: May 10, 2020, 7:00 pmOrange County is preparing to hand out one million masks and 200,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to small businesses in an effort to help them reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The two Orange County residents worked with local hospitals, like Orlando Health, to develop a list of what can be made and donated and where to take it. For example, for face shields they need the thing that attaches to the head. Your offer of producing and supplying donations of 3D printed materials and hand-sewn masks will help us diversify our resources. As of Monday, April 6, Orlando Health is accepting donations of the following community-made PPE items. Face Shield with Cap/Cover & Bottom Curved Guide – Many face shield designs are acceptable.